Caduceus

There will be no sewing in the windows this or next week, as I prepare two large pieces in the studio, and finish several smaller ones....

Caduceus, symbol of communication and the healing arts. From the Encyclopedia Britannica," staff carried by Hermes, the messenger of the gods, as a symbol of peace. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans it became the badge of heralds and ambassadors, signifying their inviolability. Originally the caduceus was a rod or olive branch ending in two shoots and decorated with garlands or ribbons. Later the garlands were interpreted as two snakes entwined in opposite directions with their heads facing; and a pair of wings, in token of Hermes’ speed, was attached to the staff above the snakes. Its similarity to the staff of Asclepius the healer (a staff branched at the top and entwined by a single serpent) resulted in modern times in the adoption of the caduceus as a symbol of the physician and as the emblem of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Let's hope the two sides of our government can come to an agreement, and decide to help and heal, rather than hold back on healthcare for everyone. Stay tuned for some pictures of the work in progress.

UPDATE: I finally finished this piece this week, and have left my pencil tracing on the background to show my original tracing of the caduceus. I started to think more and more about the fight for healthcare, and imagined two blind snakes reaching with their tongues in the air, hunting, seeking...something. Seems visually apt for the discussion that keeps going back and forth in committees.

Later on in the season, "Can all you can, can,can!" This is the time of saving and storing. How could I not speak of how many are trying to save money and share the bounty of their own gardens? This year, I planted potatoes, which are now in the fridge, along with blackberries and blueberries from the yard. Tomatoes, cucumbers and more blackberries went into the pot to savor them later. I hope everyone enjoyed their yard as much as I did (despite the extended rain).